After two earlier releases, Obsolete Prophecies and Inferno, As It Burns unleashed their third album Mortal Dusk. Their debut for their new label Cold Blood Industries. As It Burns mainly plays death metal, sporadically mixed with black metal influences. As a whole this album consists mainly of no nonsense metal: pounding riffs, tight drums and sick grunts.

This guitar-oriented metal sometimes reminds me of old Death or God Dethroned, although these aren’t good comparisons. The music is enhanced with some keyboards. Although in some cases these really contribute to the music, often they are insipid. I question if As It Burns really need a keyboard, for the pounding riffs can stand on their own.

But in some songs, like “Mortal Dusk”, the keyboards sound really well. Even a comparison with Children Of Bodom for instance roams through my head for just a second.

Also, the vocalist varies with grunts and screams. Combined with the hammering mid-tempo riffs, the fast parts and the melancholic solo’s they have created a nice album. The production is also very well: all instruments are nicely mixed and the album has a full and warm sound.

If this band from the Dutch province Groningen will keep going on like this, I think we will hear from them again in the near future.